§ Right of promoters to be heard before Examiner
§ The promoters of a private bill shall be entitled to be heard before the Examiner by themselves or their agents.
§ Right of audience before Court of Referees
§ A petitioner against a private bill shall be entitled to be heard before the Court of Referees by himself, his counsel, or agents in support of his right to be heard upon his petition and the promoters of the Bill shall be entitled to be heard by themselves, their counsel or agents in opposition thereto; but not more than one counsel shall appear before the Court in support of a right to be heard upon his petition or in opposition thereto.
§ Hearing of parties by Standing Orders Committee
§ (1) The following parties may be heard before the Standing Orders Committee if the Committee think fit—
- (i) On consideration of a report from the Examiner that the standing orders have not been complied with or a special report from the Examiner in respect of a private bill or a petition for a private bill or for additional provision in a private bill—
- (a) the promoters of the bill.
- (b) any memorialist who has appeared before the Examiner.
- (ii) On consideration of a petition praying that any of the standing orders of the House may be dispensed with or of a petition for the reinsertion of a petition for a private bill in the General List of such Petitions—
- (a) the petitioner,
- (b) any parties who have presented petitions in opposition to the petition.
§ (2) Any party who is allowed to be heard in virtue of the foregoing paragraph shall be entitled to be represented by his agent.
1451§ Personal Bills
§ (1) In the case of a bill brought from the House of Lords relating to the estate, property, status or style, or otherwise relating to the personal affairs of an individual, if the Chairman of Ways and Means reports that the bill is of such a nature as aforesaid and is, in his opinion, such that the standing orders numbered 4 to 61 and 65 to 68 should not apply thereto, the order referring the bill to the Examiners shall be discharged, and the bill shall be ordered to be read a second time.
§ (2) Bills in respect of which the Chairman of Ways and Means has so reported are in these standing orders termed personal bills, and the proceedings in reference thereto shall be subject to such general or special directions (if any) as may be given from time to time by Mr. Speaker.
§ Hon. Members will be no doubt aware that towards the end of the Session it is customary for the Chairman of Ways and Means to move any Amendments to Private Business Standing Orders which experience shows to be necessary or desirable, and if the House passes them to-day they will be embodied in Standing Orders which will be sent to be reprinted. The Amendments proposed are little more than drafting and make no material alterations to the present practice.
§ Question put, and agreed to.